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1 KINGS 19
page 321
went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left
his servant there. 4 Then he went on alone into
the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down
under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he
might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said.
“Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
5 Then he lay down and slept under the
broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel
touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”
6 He looked around and there beside his head
was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of
water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
7 Then the angel of the Lord came again and
touched him and said, “Get up and eat some
more, or the journey ahead will be too much
for you.”
8 So he got up and ate and drank, and the
food gave him enough strength to travel forty
days and forty nights to Mount Sinai,* the
mountain of God. 9 There he came to a cave,
where he spent the night.
The LORD Speaks to Elijah
But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing
here, Elijah?”
10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served
the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn
down your altars, and killed every one of your
prophets. I am the only one left, and now they
are trying to kill me, too.”
11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood
there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible
blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord
was not in the wind. After the wind there was an
earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a
fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after
the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.
13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in
his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance
of the cave.
And a voice said, “What are you doing here,
Elijah?”
14 He replied again, “I have zealously served
the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn
down your altars, and killed every one of your
prophets. I am the only one left, and now they
are trying to kill me, too.”
15 Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same
way you came, and travel to the wilderness of
Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. 16 Then anoint Jehu
grandson of Nimshi* to be king of Israel, and
anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of
19:8 Hebrew to Horeb, another name for Sinai.
descendant of Nimshi; compare 2 Kgs 9:2, 14.
19:16 Hebrew
Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet.
17 Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be
killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will
be killed by Elisha! 18 Yet I will preserve 7,000
others in Israel who have never bowed down to
Baal or kissed him!”
The Call of Elisha
19 So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of
oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with
• Depression
1 K I N G S 19:3-4
Elijah experienced the depths of fatigue
and discouragement just after his two
great spiritual victories: the defeat of
the prophets of Baal and the answered
prayer for rain. To lead him out of
depression, God first let Elijah rest and
eat. Then God confronted him with the
need to return to his mission in life—to
be God’s prophet. Elijah’s battles were
not over; there was still work for him to
do. Often depression sets in after great
spiritual experiences, especially those
that produce a high level of emotional
excitement or that require a lot from us
physically. When you feel let down after
a spiritual “high,” do what is necessary
to restore your inner resources. And
remember that God still has a purpose
and plan for you.
• Communication
1 K I N G S 19:12
In many of the Bible’s accounts, God’s
voice is loud and dramatic: A voice
booms like thunder from the smokeshrouded mountain, fire falls from heaven,
rocks and trees are shattered, and the
people know God himself has spoken.
Even today we hear dramatic testimonies
from those who have heard his voice, and
we long for the same kind of experience.
But note that when Elijah finally heard
God, it was in a gentle whisper. We must
never forget that God speaks, and that he
speaks in the way we most need to hear.
Sometimes we can hear God only when
we are quiet and listening intently. He
may be speaking to you even now. Could
you be drowning out his voice with loud
demands, despairing cries, or muttered
anxiety?